Truths and Fallacies
by monsterme
Summary: A five part series telling the tale of two people's perceieved truths and undeniable fallacies that neither will ever admit.
1. Pretend

**AN:** I promised to finish On a Distant Shore but this caught my mind and I couldn't help by writting it. This story may or may not be like real life situations some people often find themselves in. Rated mature for insinuated situations. This is not one of my fluffy Oliver/Hermione fics. You've been warned.

**Pretend**

With a sigh and roll of eyes a young woman of 24 watched a young man of whom she knew was quite possibly the biggest liar in the world. He looked the part of the cassanova charming his way to get a free cookie as he expertly uses his uneven smile and cockeyed grin that entices even the biggest shrew in the world. Well, the biggest shrew besides Hermione Granger. It was the ever so fool-proof cocktail; an attractive young man, hunched over the counter casually touching the girl's hand as he flirts openly yet somehow discreetly with her. He flashes her his famous grin that had witches scream in orgamisic chorus "Oh Wood". His hand then goes through his hair ruffling it as it were not expertly combed before. He looks down at the girl's hand and trails his way up to her chest lingering for a second, fully knowing that she had been watching him eye her. As soon as she closes the register he looks up again and grin. If the girl isnt scowling, he'll lean in abit more just to look into her eyes and say "hmm thank you" and she would giggle herself into a reddened state.

Having her heart broken severely by several men in the past years, Hermione had had enough watching Oliver Wood try to catch another unsuspecting muggle coffee shop girl. She often wondered if she had treated him badly instead of royally, would he have stayed with her? But she knew the answer that question as she had treated him royally giving him all of her heart, time and love which he only tossed aside to pursue an exicting fun tumble with his then coach's wife when he realized he was changing into a monogamous man. Several years passed already and Oliver still haven't taken a clue that Hermione infact hated his guts for what he did to her but Oliver always said that "it would get better in time". Hermione knew then that it was a logic he often used to get women to step way from him. Playing on the psyche, empowering her while he broke her heart. **_Sneaky bastard_**. It never really did get better. It just got worse as time flew. Hermione harbored feelings of distaste for the man and often wondered why she even bothered with having the occasional lunch with him. But as always, Oliver was oblivious as to how she felt, just as he was when they were in a relationship.

She often thought she was masochistic for even tolerating Oliver's prescence. Everytime he found some new leggy toy he took around the clubs, she'd meet them out of his requests or maybe it was a guilty pleasure to know that they would only last a weekend or two. It was also possible she was letting his ego kick her down even more. Hermione would play the "we're exes but we're fine" card as Oliver always expected of her and once she got home she let the tears swell in her eyes replaying the very moment that Oliver left her for the first and second time. Had she been the worst girlfriend that he had to run out on her twice. Had she not loved him enough, no it wasnt that. She was a free spirit bottled to fit into society, refusing the idea of occasional deviance which Oliver's life was based on.

"Success. l got her number, its a Jennifer spelled Ginnifer," marvelled Oliver as he sat back down not noticing Hermione's inner conflict. She sipped her coffee faking a smile, hoping the cup would cover her partial frown. DId he honestly need to parade these women around her?

"What do you think, ms anthropologist?" He asks watching her aloofly as he flirted at Ginnifer all the way at the counter of the coffee shop. Hermione stared at the woman for a bit and concluded, "Flakey, probably a freshamn at the nearby college. Expensive boots tells me she was forced to take this job after overloading her credit card and daddy is too busy with the mistress. He'd purposely forgotten about poor Ginnifer and mummy is too busy running after daddy to help"

Oliver snapped his head to look at Hermione incredously but then smiles, "You know you scare me sometimes?" he commented as he finally shifted his attention to Hermione was still watching Ginnifer bounce her boobs around as she trotted to the dishwasher. Was that tart even aware that she was a walking and quite possibly a driving hazzard.

"How so?" Hermione asked.

"You just told me what she basically just said why she works here and she IS a freshman at the nearby community college", Oliver marvelled noticing that Hermione wasn't purely paying attention to him. It never really bothered him much that Hermione turned a new leaf after they broke up. She had become the Hermione he once noticed not the Hermione that was his on and off girlfriend of nearly 6 months.

"Community College accepts everyone. She'll _take you in_ as they did so easily along with the enormous girth of your ego immidiately after her shift" Hermione concluded. Sometimes she knew she had to play the cold hearted ex to get his attention, if she had only known how he was she would have never fallen in love with him.

"Do you mean the girth of my manhood?" Oliver added quickly, smirking with satisfaction of appalling Hermione. "You did ask 'is it gonna fit' the first time"

"If you inflate your head even more _Ginnifer_ might be crushed. I wish you came with a warning label," Hermione said, "'Treat me like shit, I'll praise you. Treat me seriously and love me, I'll leave you faster than you can say quidditch'"

"Hermio-" Oliver started but couldnt as he watched Hermione pick up her coat and stand up quickly.

"Is it so bad being honest Wood? Someone has to shit on you these days. Keeps you grounded trust me its for your own good" Hermione cheerfully stated as she touched his jaw rather cold and distantly. Oliver had expected for her to cup his face with the warmth that she had done so every morning of their relationship. Smiling at him as if nothing bad will ever hapen everywhere in the world because he was there. She was so loving, warm and close back then, he really did not know how to feel about this Hermione. Now she often looked as if she was so bothered by him. She smiled forcibly at him and walked away swiftly before Olver could even say another word.

He watched her walk away, wondering the same thing everytime she left their lunch early; did he do the right thing leaving her? She was a great girlfriend, companion and lover. She always loved him even to the bitter present and even if she still loved him, she would never let herself say it out loud or accept it. She treated him as if he was a natural fallacy, bothersome, irriversible and unmanageable much like how his mother treated him when he did something bad; with silent contempt though accepting his nature.

Did he still feel anything for her? Why was it so bothersome that she left early. It can't be that he actually regrets his actions, he's Oliver Wood the biggest Quidditch star right along with Ginny Potter. But the difference is that Ginny Potter was in a loving equal relationship with her husband and Oliver was still living with a fleeting heart of an indecisive teenager.

_**"They can lead you, hide or reveal too"**_

AN:

I know its not my normal writting style. I hope you guys like it though. I tried to catch all the typos.

-monsterme


	2. His Truths and Falsehoods

**His**

**Truths and Fallacies**

At the age of 14 Oliver always knew that monogamous relationships were bound to eventually drive itself into a cliff. The responsibility of keeping the fire burning while balancing life was too much that it would drive people crazy. His parents split after his father drank himself silly too many times, though Oliver never really knew if his father cheated on his mother. He had an inkling that maybe he did since his own hell bent desire to spite monogamy seemed blood bound instead of society's dictation. He have had monogamous relationships before, the first was with Katie Bell back at Hogwarts. That ended with out any sparks since they both gave up. His relationships, or as Hermione termed it "monthly excursions". always seemed to follow a pattern.

He'd meet the girl at the bars or pubs. She'd slyly hint for him to talk to her and by the end of the weekend he would've gotten into her pants. With the first two weeks, he would woe her and make her his world. By the third week he had already scared himself silly of an impending relationship that he became skittish, declining her every invite even if she would take upon his. _**Clingy**_. Finally by the fourth weekend he would've already lost her by not ever calling back. Oliver admitted once to his mother that it was a disgusting practice but the thrill of the chase kept him going onto the next woman who unknowingly strapped a ticking bomb on her heart.

When he had met Hermione again, years after Hogwarts, he had just gotten out of another excursion with a woman who left her then boyfriend for him and eventally left him for the same man. That however didn't phase him. On that November night, he infact just came from another date when he saw Hermione again. Him and this _would be monthly excursion_ had gone to watch Oliver Twist at the local theatre called Showplace. How despicable was it that once the _would've been girl _never showed up at the lounge, he met Hermione and that she became a few months longer than he had planned her to be.

He still remembered how she was perched on the bar stool swivelling back and forth as she waited for her two Spicy Vodka Caesars with extra olives. She looked almost comical as she was dressed so young as if she were still in highschool at an upscale lounge. But she didn't care how everyone else was dressed so chic in their black dresses and their suits. She seemed to just have wanted a few good drinks with her then housemate. Of course Oliver couldn't help himself but chat with her as she waited for her drinks, even explaining to her how caesars were far better with tequila. She nodded and smiled when she had tried the concoction later that night, proclaiming it was _interesting_. Something that she later admitted that was a lie since she found the combination utterly revolting. By the end of her wait Oliver had already somehow wormed his way into accompanying her back to the table she shared with her flat mate who was having man problems. Being a self proclaimed casanova, Oliver offered his brain to be picked by the two women and even got to walk home with them as they had lived only a block apart. How lucky was he that she had given him a chance when he wasn't even looking for one that night!

At the corner of King St. and Sherbrooke St. many things happened. It was there that he had gotten her mobile number. Eventually that was where he admitted to himself that Hermione was just not a monthly excursion as they rolled on the snowy ground at 1am in the morning. He needed to impress her then, she was going to leave him before he could leave her. She had been called mudblood by one of his drunk friends at his house party. The same house party that Hermione was reluctant to attend.

Oliver had only once admitted that friends made it hard keeping Hermione around. It was like mixing oil with water and Hermione was the ever so constant clear water that he had unwittingly added into the oil filled glass that symbolized his life. He knew then that he had to keep her around longer and laughter always got her, since she never found a reason to laugh nor smile. He became the reason and this made Oliver warm and fuzzy. He was genuinely appreciated by a woman who wasn't looking for a short party but a long lasting soiree. A few months had passed by and their steady boat was rocked by an unforseen force that threw them both out of the boat. Hermione however recovered fast that she even pulled him back in when he wanted to sink. He had once said to her that he didnt need her pity expecting her to pour more pity out but of course she didnt.

At 3:30 AM during a snowy January evening, she had looked at him with no heart, no feeling not even pity and said "No you aren't getting any pity from me" even after he found out that his father had died just hours ago. Hermione was mysterious in many ways and this was one of those instances that made that statement true. But even with her apparent cold hearted ways she was always there and always made sure his feelings were cared for, even if it was in the most unconventional process. Thats why he loved her then, she was his rock, she was constant and dependable. He held on to her that night crying on her shoulder when he hadn't cried in years. She remained silent as she wrapped her arms around him supporting him all through the night while he soaked his Remus and Romulus shirt. When the sun finally came she was still there sharing her warmth that almost scalded him. Was he prepared for this kind of love? She turned over and looked at him with all the love in her heart and he couldn't muster its warmth. He knew deep inside that she was real, she was a keeper but this however was not enough for him to stay.

They say that when there is death in the immidiate family, one shouldn't be too hasty on cutting off people close to them. Oliver never took that advise to heed. He finally got sick of monogamy, she was his but he decided that he could never return how she felt and life was too short to be monogamous. He left her before he thought he could make any more damage when infact he had already wrecked her heart. The constant wear and tear that he had caused finally took a toll on her. In a mad and desperate moment she had screamed her aching heart onto his voicemail as she fell to her knees knowing that she'd never let anyone near her again. To this day Oliver still feels indifferent about her outburst and refuses to see the light beyond the smoke and mirrors a friend of his convinced him was there. A friend of whom had his own agenda.

Oliver liked this man, he was of great amusement. He had met this man during a christmas dinner at Hermione's house. This man had been one of Hermione's flatmate's occasional fuck almost moonlighting as a boyfriend of sorts to this particular friend. He was funny and charming and like Oliver, he had charmed his way into flat's four flatmates good sides. Oliver found a friend with in Hermione's group of friends but little did the two of them know of the reckoning this vile man would bring onto both of them.

This man had broken Oliver out of the monogamous relationship he had with Hermione. He was the devil and Oliver will not ever see this severe truth that Hermione had to experience first hand. Oliver would never find out that this man had forced Hermione to the ground amongst other horrible things he had done to her during a crisp June night. No, Oliver would never find out what he had done to Hermione by leaving her the way he did with a friend whom he should have never trusted. The sun shined from this man's shaved shiny head and this devil remained while Hermione was ousted. Oliver would never know how Hermione trembled in fear after the incident how she had wished that for once Oliver acted like an adult and not a hormonal teenager taste testing women. It had driven Oliver angry as Hermione became more and more _clingy_, a term that was copiously pushed on by the Devil himself, never realizing that Hermione just needed Oliver as he had needed her just that January. She needed him to hold her close and tell her that everything would be okay; that the Devil will never get her ever again. But this is not the case. Oliver was never there to let Hermione cry on his shoulder, nor was he around to make her feel safe.

On the horrid night that she was being held down against her will, Oliver was amusing himself with a new woman. He would never know, he's in his own blissful lie of a life. _Skittish, unresponsible, and viral._

_**"..Its impossible to tell how important something was, **_

_**And what you might have missed out on,**_

_**And how you might've changed it all"**_

AN:

Thanks for reading. Leave a mark on the review page if you so please.

-monster


	3. Her Inferences and Veracities

**Her**

**Inferences and Veracities**

At the age of 22, Hermione had already given up on men. _Young_. Most men were all either taken, preferred men over women or they were single but there was something very defective about them. She just wanted to keep on studying since it was only the only thing that garnered favorable outcomes. After all her hard work, occasionally depriving her of sleep, her education always seemed worth the sleepless nights. Men were also worth the tumble and rumble but the outcomes were rogue and Hermione never felt secured with the idea of not being able to manipulate the desired outcome.

Oliver was something she hoped had even a tiny bit of verity in him. She still remembered that November night when Crookshanks decided to unwittingly flop on the parchment she had been writting a report on. Of course the cat never bothered with letting the ink dry first, and proceeded on stretching and rolling around thus ruining the report. Hermione however couldn't punish him, unlike past loves Crookshanks was the only living male that ever loved her for who she was. But, as all cat owners know; cats will love you if you are a sole and primary food giver. With this paradigm in mind, **men are like cats**. Cats seem to dislike it when you give them all the time of the day and are often found skidaddling away snubbing their owners. Cats also have the tendency of loving their owners more when the owner could care less about them. _Just like most men, _specifically like Oliver_._

Hermione had been bombarded by one of her flatmates that particular night. Jessica was having man problems as usual and Hermione was often the person she ran to. Even though Hermione disliked Trelawney back at Hogwarts, she had the knack with the tarot. She would never call herself a seer but she knew that the cards held a mysterious pull of fate and were surprisingly good at reading love oriented spreads. Of course Jessica had been inconsolible and after some card manipulations Hermione at least gave the girl a reason to smile and forget her worries. "Why dont we go out", Jessica had pressed and Hermione vowed to herself that she was going to find a better fitting man for Jessica that same nite. That plan however failed as Hermione met Oliver Wood herself, forgetting her mission of finding her flatmate a deserving man. Of course Hrmione hadn't planned on meeting anyone at all but there he was.

Oliver Wood, unusually lonely by the bar while staring blankly at the assortment of liquors the bartenders were using that night. She had purposely flopped beside him hoping he'd say hi to her but that was the end of her plan as everything else seemed to have happened on fate's accord. By the end of the night they had discussed man problems and suprisingly, muggle author Frank Herbert whose epic story Dune was one of Oliver's top picks for muggle fiction. Hermione was floored as she had always thought that Oliver was just another wizard jock. She then thought that maybe he was just trying to manipulate her so she shifted their conversation to linguistic studies only to be surprised again by the man. She sat there shell shocked and yet amused at him.

A few days afterwards she had recieved a call from Oliver. She of course didn't answer it as she was still stuck in a lecture. He started his message with, "Hey Hermione, this is Oliver from the other night, you know the guy who liked the tequila casesars. I just wanted to call and ask you if you wanted to go have dinner and discuss linguistics...". It was Jessica who felt more excited than Hermione, broadcasting the dinner invitation all over the house disturbing one of the other flatmate's sleep. Hermione's stomach dropped as she called him back, planning to politely decline while her flatmates raved about a possible new man. Apparently it was monumental as Jessica had exclaimed since Hermione hadn't been out on a date for nearly a year and a half. However, her ministrations of turning the guy down failed as she succumbed and accepted the offer after some chiding by her friends. Little would she know that she was going to have alot of fun with Oliver during the first date. She treated him with some distance however, she knew she would fool around with him but she never realized that she'd ever trully fall for him. Hermione wasn't the type of girl to sleep with a man after two dates but something about Oliver made her swallow her words amongst other things the following saturday. A few weeks then turned to a month and a month turned to a few more past its ill-fated expiry date. Hermione had found _the man_.

Oliver was a breath of fresh air since he had been opposite to what she was. He was full of surprises which brightened up her day. His warmth was welcoming as was the three headed beast of the apocalypse tattooed on his chest. Much to Oliver's dismay she had quickly nicknamed the tattoo Barney after the singing dinosaur. None the less everything felt right and up to this day, Hermione remembered when he first proclaimed that she was _the girl who stole his heart _while Oliver became the first man who she actually met the family of. It was taught to her at an early age that when two people are dating and they meet each others families, that it was a cornerstone of the relationship. She was not planning to ever admit that she loved him nor meet his family but on a January night she had ran out of her house to meet Oliver at the corner of Sherbrooke King St.

He had brushed her off that night and it miffed her enough that she slept angry purposely ignoring his calls. At 3 in the morning, she finally answered his call and with all of her hatred passed her, she hastily dressed and met Oliver who was standing in the middle of the crossroads looking lost as he watched snow fall onto the ground. Hermione stopped skidding on the compacted snow to meet his gaze. This was not her Oliver. He was solemn and this was their crossroads.

She cupped his face and tried to force a smile even as she felt his dampened cheek. At that point she realized that she loved him, it was an unexpected turn of events. "Stay with me please" he had quitely said after rebuffing "pity" that he would've gotten from her. Hermione didn't think twice as she slid her hand into his and lead him to his flat just half a block away from hers. She opened the door and quietly stripped him of his coat and silently told him to take off his shoes. She then led him up to his room and undressed him down to his knickers and put him into bed. He had held onto her hand the whole time and his grip grew tight as she stepped away from him while his eyes looked stricken as if she was going to disappear then. Hermione looked at him with all the warmth that she could give as she undressed herself finally settling into one of faved shirts of the two children suckling from the wolf. She wordelessly climbed into bed and put her arms around him, for once being the bigger spoon instead of the little one. Hermione held him tight wishing that she could take away even the faintest part of his sorrow.

He cried all of the early morning finally falling asleep around 6am by then Hermione had also passed out only to be woken up by Oliver a few hours later exclaiming how feverishly hot she was. He touched her forehead and pulled most of the covers off of her to let her warmth escape. Oliver then laid beside her and hugged her close, quietly saying that though it wasn't the most sensible time to say it, "I love you, you are my rock, I know you'll always be there" and kissed her forehead eventually falling asleep again. Later that morning Hermione vaguely remembered this event and had to ask him if he could reiterate. He kissed her deeply and said it again "I love you Hermione Granger". Hermione opened her mouth to say it back but nothing came. It was days after, when Oliver had gone back home for bit to plan the funeral, that she vocally admitted she loved him back. Oliver was surprised but was elated. She imagined that he probably thought he had scared her away! But of course Hermione didn't run away.

Hermione felt uncomforatble only a handful of times while with Oliver. The first was when he had proclaimed that she had stolen his heart to his boss who then proceeded to call the relationship "_a manifestation of Oliver's mudblood obsession_". The second was when she first met Oliver's housemate who vocalized that he thought she was a bitch which he later took back after getting to know her. The third was when she had arrived at Mr. Wood Sr. funeral. She and the Devil sat together three pews from the front and no one sat beside them. Upon turning around she found that a pew full of men her age, who were staring at her with interest as Oliver stopped by to give her a peck on the lips before heading to his place with his sisters and mother. She wanted to melt then, melt and hope to evaporate so no one could stare at her. Later that solemn day, she had found herself at a table with the _staring_ _men_ and soon found out that they were Oliver's old friends, some even knowing him since he was 5.

These friends of Oliver's had accepted her prescence with some distance but as soon as she opened her mouth asking if there were any dirt she should know about their friend, those men suddenly warmed up to her. She later blew them away again as she discussed quidditch and oddly enough, F1 racing. Oliver beamed at her when his friends started to warm up to her. He kissed her infront of them and garnered himself some whistling and howling. Oliver's mother was another deal. Patricia Wood gave her a calculating stare and she didn't know how to feel about it. She thought that maybe Mrs. Wood knew that Oliver and her had a quick one in his childhood bedroom when Mrs. Wood stepped out to feed her ex-husbands cat! Oliver and Hermione hadn't realized that his younger sister was napping in the room beside his. The young Ms. Wood had given them a wink and was relentlessly amused yet scarred that afternoon. But as Hermione won over Oliver's friends she had won Patricia's respect a week or so after. The woman caught wind that Hermione had gotten Oliver to stop partying and had in fact dragged him back to school. The Wood matriach was delighted as was Hermione. Somehow after all of these events Oliver slipped away.

The love had to end sometime. They bickered and fought and little did the two know it was not fully their fault. While Hermione was being pushed to the other end Oliver was being dragged by the devil into another. This man had wedged himself between them and neither realized it soon enough as Hermione and Oliver's relationship unravelled just a month after. It was something that Hermione knew she would never get passed. Too many bad things happened during that time, she lost her innonce about many cruelties that life may bring. _She had become a statistic_. She still wondered if she had been stronger would the devil had gotten her. If she had known that with or with out Oliver she could still happy, she wouldn't have been so distracted for something as horrible as that to happen. She turned to hate for most part and thus began her two years of self proclaimed loneliness, even pushing away the frenchman who had waited for her to recuperate. _To Heal_.

The Frenchman was a missed chance that could've saved her emotional state faster. He was the only one who believed her when she first told her friends about what the devil had done to her. The Frenchman gave her a big hug telling her that if Oliver didn't believe her then Oliver was not worth it. He was also the only one to cast the Devil aside and eventually severed ties with him, much to the devil's dismay. Hermione knew she had to be stronger but even after two years she still was scared of the devil. Secretly reading the signs and rumors of the Devil as to make sure she never cross paths with him ever again, or alone for that matter. Oliver was another deal. Though it hurt her, Hermione had developed a disgusting habit of watching from sideline for the purpose of laughing at Oliver and his new woman of the month. However much she missed him and however much it hurt her to see him move on so fast, she knew better now. Oliver could not be the man.

Hermione moved sometime after this. Jessica and the rest of the flatmates went off in their own direction and Hermione had found a new flat. A quaint house by the river, in a neighborhood filled with old antique houses whose owners were families with young children. Her new flatmates were an odd bunch, one had the goal of watching tv shows on her laptop all day. The other, he had the intent of taking up the sofa as he munched on food and watch tv shows as well. Those two combined had Hermione and the rest of the house harping every month about paying additional fees on their internet. Yes wizards also had internet, specially the ones who appreciated muggle devices! Last but not least was the halfblood who couldnt decide whether she was one or the other though by the end of the year she'd decided she was always of both worlds. These three had helped Hermione heal and thus remains her good friends to this day even though they have spread across the nation and oceans. The lone male flatmate had always said "He's ugly remember that!" whenever Hermione started to feel that she missed Oliver. He had pointed out that Oliver had great timing and that Hermione should allow the frenchman to woe her. Hermione always felt that this flatmate had a man-crush on the Frenchman.

Looking at the situation now, Hermione was glad that things played out the way it did. Though she did become a shrew, she also grew stronger in her own right. She held her head up high whenever Oliver was around, not knowing that her self confidence rattled the usually self assured Wood. Instead of plundging into self pity and anguish, though she did become depressed for abit, Hermione pursued her career goals. She knew then that with or with out Oliver Wood she would survive and spread her wings to lengths that she was uncomforatble to do so before. What the devil had done to her was vile and dirty but she vowed to herself to always pity those who are like him because they will never find their path. _Karma_. After all their sight was blocked by their wicked nature that nothing good could ever come from it.

_**"And they can tease you, Break or complete you **_"

AN:

Angsty isnt it? Not usually my style. But none the less,

thanks for reading. leave a mark if you feel like doing so.


	4. His Desires and Its Consequences

AN: Thank you for reading this fanfic. I've tried my best to iron out all the typos but I can't guarantee that this is typo free. I wrote this while listening to this k-pop song called Tik Tok (not kesha). I think the song influenced my writing. None the less I'm rather happy about the way I am ending this story. I hope you feel how I imagined they felt and ultimately like the ending.

**His Desires and its Consequences**

With no doubt Hermione and Oliver would've continued on trying to outdo one another in various ways. Oliver knew he struck a chord with his women and Hermione's truth laid with her upfront honesty about Oliver's verbal idiocracies. For months after, they did what they had done for a year as heart wrenching that was for both of them. But as fall fell forwards and winter stormed through, spring brought on the bees a buzz about the impending convocation. Hermione had to search her soul to find the courage to move away and onwards, past the looming shadow that had hindered her from living to the fullest.

"You're moving?", Oliver asked as his surprise bubbled to the surface. Hermione looked at him and nodded then proceeded to walk on. Oliver had bumped into her while he was grabbing lunch at a local pub. "Didn't your muggle school take you?" He half joked. Oliver knew that Hermione had applied for a "mastering", or something along those lines. His jokes often rolled off Hermione's shoulder as if it were a miniscule undetected dust but today was different.

"They did but I fancy myself back in the big city again" Hermione quickly replied even before Oliver could finish what he was saying. In fact, today was odd for both of them. The straight forward Hermione didn't bother looking at Oliver. Hermione supposed that it was for the best at that moment, or else she did she would've seen something that could break her heart yet once again. She figured Oliver would've either been ecstatic that she was to leave or he would've looked as if he wanted to say 'stay' but wouldn't have said it anyway Hermione wanted to cut her losses, she didn't need to feel guilty any longer, for a guilt that wasn't her fault in the first place. He left her and she hasn't left him since. Irony.

"Hermione," Oliver said as he grabbed her arm as to stop Hermione from walking on ahead. "Good luck".

She stopped and finally looked at him straight in the eyes, as if she was searching for a real answer and not the half lie that Oliver decided to serve. His gaze wavered but he forced himself to keep the eye contact. He wasn't going to loose this game of chicken, but was it a game of chicken? Did he really mean that? None the less Oliver always found it unnerving how Hermione saw knew if he was lying and how she had the decency to drop the subject when needed. '_Ginnifer talks too much' _Oliver told himself, '_Hermione just knows_'

"Oliver, it'll get better in the long run" Hermione remarked further stating that she had to catch her bus.

Oliver scoffed at her reply saying that it was bull crap, "And stop quoting me"

"And you finally admit it was bullcrap! Took you long enough!" Hermione triumphantly laughed. She slid her arm out of Oliver's clutches and fixed the collar of his shirt and straightened out his jumper's rumpled shoulders after. Oliver watched her step closer as she did so and felt that very familiar pang in chest. His stare softened at that point at which Hermione looked up and quietly said, "don't worry you'll forget about me in a few weeks"

Oliver placed his hands on her arms once again, silently debating what he really felt at that moment. Or if he wanted to kiss her then. He weighed the consequences if he did. Would she be insulted or would she welcome it? What would he feel if he did so? Or how would he feel if he didn 't kiss her one last time?

But Hermione was not the one to be left again. She's already made it a mission to always leave him before he left her. In a swift motion she tip toed and placed a peck on his cheek, "I suppose this is good bye for good", and stepped away crossing her arms across her chest as she took a second step back.

"Wait, Hermione, when are you moving out?" Oliver asked with a more desperate tone that he hadn't intended to use. Hermione looked at him, awed at his question. Why would it matter so much to him specially when he was the one who left her two years ago. "Does it matter?

Oliver looked at Hermione, trying to decide whether or not to confirm or deny if it does matter to him. _"Does it?" _he asked himself silently. Hermione still hadn't let go of his wavering gaze but as Oliver tried to stammer out a reply, one of which he hadn't figure out yet, nothing came but a grunt and a shrug.

"Thought so. If it doesn't matter then which ever day it is; it couldn't get here any faster. If yes and it does; sometime not in the first half of this week and rather sometime after that." Hermione started, Oliver tried to figure out what she meant. "Oliver, I have to go. I need to pack"

And with that Oliver watched her dash for the East Street bus. She looked back once to give him a brief smile. Oliver felt something off inside of him, but as his chest clenched again his phone rang and Oliver dearly wished that it wasn't _Ginnifer _asking the stupidest question of "how's you're day?", something _Ginnifer_ already asked four times that very day. Much to his relief it wasn't from the girl. Oliver breathed out when he saw that it was a text from on of his flatmates. However his stomach fell when he read that the pipes in his house burst and water was currently flooding the basement. "..but no big deal, we're dealing with it mate"

At that point all Oliver could see was his three tenants with tiny buckets splashing water out of a tiny window, forgetting that they were wizards. In all fairness, Oliver always thought that his tenants were rather dim-witted wizards who probably had gotten a bludger or two square on the head.

"Bugger!" Oliver swore loudly scaring the mother with a ten-year little girl walking by. The little girl looked at him with her big blue eyes and asked what a bugger meant to her mother. She then mimicked Oliver with enthusiasm when her mother couldn't answer her question quickly enough. "bugger bugger bugger bugger!"

Days passed and as Hermione packing dwindled to one last box full of her books, she picked her wand. With a swish and another swish her booked floated into the box. The last turn of her wand sent the box into her charmed school trunk.

"Done?" asked her housemate, the half-blood witch who had decided to dress up for the summer solstice, or convocation for Hermione. "I gave your parents some spiked pumpkin juice. It should iron out some stress. You know you're parents are full of stress right? Their aura's just look like it"

Hermione chuckled at the thought of her parents drinking a spiked drink, they were such studious dentists. She watched as her friend levitate her trunk ahead saying that she should fix her dress before heading down. Surprisingly enough Hermione wasn't moving out that day, she was just sending her heavy stuff home with her parents as so she didn't have to bring them with her herself on Monday morning. Hermione had in fact lied to Oliver, or at least she said she just omitted a few facts from the statement .

Early that morning, Hermione had walked across the stage, shook hands with an woman who was formerly an astronaut and then received the rolled up paper called her muggle degree. Hermione's parent's had been very enthusiastic when she had told them that she was pursuing a muggle education after Hogwarts, but as all parents, Mr and Mrs. Granger would've preferred that Hermione picked a more sensible focus of study such as dentistry. But Hermione pursued what interested her and Mr. Granger respected her decisions.

"A teaspoon of belladonna and some potent lavender essence. Nothing too witchy, don't worry" her friend said.

Hermione chuckled at sight and thought that a teaspoon of belladonna was potent enough to make anyone loosen up. She gave her parent's an hour before she sent them home with three quarter's of belongings. Hermione had slipped an antidote in their tea and that was that. She never tell them that they were given anything, Mr. and Mrs. Granger were naturalists and did not believe in aided relaxation.

Waving out to her parent's car, Hermione phone rang and her flatmate pried the phone from her hands. Hermione watched her friend as the witch answered the call. "No, she's busy, what do you want? Obviously still packing dim-wit" said Hermione's friend. Hermione asked for her phone back and she got it unwillingly from the other girl.

"Hello?" Hermione said and that point she wished she didn't answer at all. Oliver had caught her. Fate had a lovely sense of humor and when I say lovely, what I really mean is mean.

"You, me, drinks later. I won't take no for an answer" he said in between his breathing. Hermione rolled her eyes at the idea of his jogging with a tight shirt as he always did when he was on the prowl. Last she heard, Ginnifer was thrown into the bottomless pit of which all Oliver's conquests are thrown after he was done with them. A month had passed of course. Hermione smirked when she heard the news. **Ces't la vie**.

"What if I say no?" Hermione said as she watched her friend head back into their house. Oliver then said that if she said no he'd haul her off at that moment. Hermione laughed if off stating that Oliver's bluffing was transparent. He then retorted he wasn't kidding. Of course Hermione hadn't thought about Oliver's habits. _**Silly girl**_. In fact Hermione hadn't thought about Oliver much since their last meeting. She forgot that he went for a run on afternoons from his house, across the river and through the bridge just around the corner from her house and back. Of course Oliver sounded seriously real when he had said he'd haul her if she said no. Hermione hadn't thought of the probability that Oliver was in fact silently running towards her back. .

"No is not an answer Granger" Oliver finally said when he crept up behind Hermione. She screamed in horror as a pair of hands grabbed her waist flinging her onto a shoulder. "Oliver Wood put me down!"

But Oliver just cackled as he ran into her house. Hermione eventually laughed at the absurdity of the situation, but everything with Oliver was absurd. Moments later Oliver threw Hermione on her bed and closed the door closed when the flatmates came pounding up the second landing demanding an explanation

"Guys, its ok. I'm fine. He's just being Oliver" Hermione half laughed as she watched Oliver hold the door close when her guy flatmate started to use unlocking charms. When the flatmates finally said their last ultimatums of "play nice or else" they walked away and left Oliver with Hermione in the second landing.

"A drink is all I want Granger" Oliver said as he watched Hermione flop on her back. He had forgotten how the afternoon light played softly on Hermione's body and how he felt when he saw lay silently still as she sank into the fluffy bedding of hers. It was something that always made him want to lay down beside her, just to be there and nothing else.

Hermione lay straight and closed her eyes, trusting her gut that Oliver would never harm her. As she laid there silently, she felt Oliver lay down beside her in silence. A few silent moments had passed and he had laced his hands with her outstretched one, holding onto it as it he was unsure if it was the right thing to silent moment, Oliver found himself with out worry as Hermione felt that the knots in her heart undo and it seemed that she could heal if given more silent contemplation. But Oliver's presence would hinder that, in fact Hermione felt her heart thumping faster and harder with her resolution dissolving every second.

"Hermione-" Oliver started but Hermione cut him off "-Oliver silence. Its my 15 minutes of silence please"

Oliver opened his eyes and watched as Hermione breathe out with ease, as if she was breathing out her sorrows out. Sorrows that Oliver had only recently took ownership. He knew he broke her heart but he never wanted to accept that. He had too much pride. But even with pride Oliver wanted to kiss her,_ 'I shouldn't',_ he reasoned to himself but if he had to choose a day to kiss Hermione Granger again, it was today. He didn't know why, but he knew he just had to kiss her again.

_"No"_ Oliver thought, _"that was a lie"_. Hermione was going to slip away, he would never see her again. This was his last attempt to face his feelings for her. He had to face it.

With out any thought, Oliver propped himself up and leaned in to kiss Hermione. Surprisingly enough, she didn't push him off but surprise was still evident in her face when he moved away. Their eyes locked and in that very moment, Oliver and Hermione had forgotten the past few years of torment and found themselves at the very first instant when they first realized that they were in love. Hermione searched his expression for answers but none came. As Oliver moved to stand up Hermione's hands did something she herself didn't think she would do. She touched his face as to say_ 'please stay'_. And with that Oliver seized the moment and leaned in again kissing her with more gusto. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her tight to his body with his hands roaming Hermione's form, like a blind person would read a familiar book in braille; Savoring every curve and detail.

Hermione let Oliver pusher her down on the bed as they kissed. Her hands searched for the small of his back and it felt familiar. As he pushed his weight down, he leveraged his leg as to gently pry Hermione's legs apart. Hermione gasped as she felt him like before and Oliver took this opportunity to kiss her deeper and passionately. Something, as Oliver thought, would shame any Frenchman in the world. He had Hermione where he always remembered her to be, with him.

"W-wait" Hermione finally said when Oliver started to pull off her dress. Oliver stopped immediately and held his hand up as if to show that he wasn't going to pull on that dress. Hermione wanted to say that she didn't want to ruin her dress but for all the years of bound emotion, she finally just let it out much to Oliver's pleasure. Her dress, along with his clothes were strewn on the floor moments later as Hermione final succumb to Oliver Wood yet once again.

But much is to debate as to whether or not she was the one who surrendered or if it was Oliver. He had, for years, tried to feign disinterest and annoyance towards the woman whom he felt he never measured up to. Hermione Granger was of a different breeding as all of his friends tend to remind him. She was better than all the women he had been with but Oliver never wanted to say it out loud, he had failed to keep her around the first time and the second time. He knew that his straying eye and fleeting interest had harmed the very woman who was the only one who had accepted him as he truly is. Hermione loved him and he had scuttled away before he could get hurt. Such cowardice, Oliver thought of himself.

"Was that a last attempt to keep me around Wood?" Hermione gasped minutes later as she tried to regain composure. The very carnal need had won over her reasoning. Oliver Wood was a pleasurable lover and Hermione was just reminded then of how high he had set her standards. She watched as sweat dripped from Oliver's forehead and how he looked pleased in that very moment.

"Ask me that later" Oliver said as he kissed her again. He did not want to run away anymore. Oliver needed Hermione and wanted her even more. He held her close and begged to relax, "I may never have this chance with you again" he quietly admitted. Hemione's stare softened as she realized the verity of his sincerity. She laid close to him and let him hold her, something that she had thought she would never have a chance to have either.

"Stay," Oliver asked as he laid a soft kiss on Hermione's lips. He looked at her with an expression of pleading. "Only for a few days" Hermione replied. Oliver wanted her to stay, he told himself he would do it right, he wouldn't let go so easily anymore. He wanted to make his bed with no one else but her. Hermione's reply however was final, and Oliver had no choice but to accept a few days. He would make up for everything then, in those short days.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Hermione's three flatmates were paying up for their two year bet with increase. The half-blood witch, named Marie smiled giddily as she received five galleons from both Sophie and Tom. _"Told you_"

AN:

Oh shit. Okay Part 2 will be up in a few days. Sooo much for planning a 4 part story.


	5. Her Resolute Valediction

**Her Resolute Valediction of the Matter at Hand**

After Oliver had left Hermione laid in bed reorganizing her thoughts. What did she do exactly? She mentally cried out loud for the triumph of having Wood between her legs once again, but at what price did that come with. The salty sweat that contaminated their kisses, the humidity that their bodies created as the two rubbed against another in tandem with nothing but a human's carnal need to satisfy the sexual needs of their Id. Hermione winced at the pleasurable memory of her hands; the one that held on to Oliver as he _ her while the other pushed against the headboard as to hold herself on the same spot every beat.

_Nothing but a good shag_, Hermione soothed her consceince, _undoubtedly a lie_. Oliver Wood was a wild animal to behold. He ran with his carnal needs. He took what he wanted and threw away the left overs as he pleased. None has tamed him docile since his mother whipped him last at the age of ten. How could she, Hermione Granger, measure up to such dominance over such a natural fallacy that bloomed into an ego that filled all the women in a pitch with desire and seduction. She could never make him an honest man, she tried and failed, that was that.

"A fling before a long awaited glorious end" Hemione breathed out reminding herself that _Oliver_ was about to end and it would be in her own terms and not his. _Never again shall I be pushed into the bottomless pit of what he is. _

"Vale dicere, vale dicere! Valete moleste amore", Hermione chanted to herself, with her voice rising ever time she repeated her new mantra.

"You're mixing up you're declensions!" shouted her housemate whose voice was heard through the vitange heater vent in between their rooms. Latin was never really her strong point but she knew how to string a few words together. Hermione propped herself on her elbow and eyed the vent suspiciously, she thought that Sophie was downtstairs.

"Yes I over heard all the grunts-" Sophie said as Hermione scowled. Sophie had a habit of reading people's minds. "-and the moans."

Across town Oliver however was oblivious to Hermione's internal fight. He had been given a few days with her and he needed to make them count. In fact Oliver had kept his tryst with Hermione a secret for all about a second once he had stepped home. He aplauded himself for drawing Hermione back, he was ecstatic that he had finally decided what he trully felt for the woman. His jump and jiggle was visibly noticed by the three tenants he called friends.

The next few days were something that was an oddity. Oliver and Hermione had been in town for lunch and Oliver for once had opted to hold her hand as to signal that she was his after all of this time. Hermione told him several times that her decision remains resolute and she will leave when she does. But as everytime she had said so, Oliver's heart wrenched and he hid his pain expertly. Such karma to befall on him, the woman he finally admitted that he loved all but wanted to leave him.

On the third night Hermione had uncharacteristcally suggested that they take their fling into the bars. Oliver had acknowledhed the possibility that the end was coming near. In fact he summized that tonite was their last night. As they danced, ground and twisted he grabbed her by the waist and held her close. While everyone started to writhe with the addictive rythym booming in the club, Oliver held Hermione with both hands and kissed her with the most passion he could show by kissing. He needed her to know how he felt. Oliver had to try his best to get Hermione back, even if he had to admit that he loved her all that time. He embraced her and whispered into her ear, "I never stopped loving you, I'll follow if you want me to"

Hermione stepped back, visible surprised by what Oliver had said. After all these years, he finally admitted how he felt. But was one promise enough to undo all that harm that he had done to her failing romantic heart?

Looking straight at him, Hermione felt conflicted. She hoped that at that moment she looked as if she wa touched, hoping that Oliver was still as daft as he was a week ago. But her stomach twisted and her heart swelled. She had opted to say nothing, but just reply with a kiss as intense as he had given while sinking her fingers in to his hair. Somehow she had uttered that she wanted to leave leaving the rest of the night a blurred memory of what should have been what it was to begin with.

Hermione had a choice the next morning, go alone and take him with her. Would he leave his comfort for her, would he be able to stick around. She watched him slumber peacefully. After they had exhausted themselves the night before with passion that was for once blatantly full of love and admiration, Olver hooked his arms around Hermione and pulled her close. His words before he fell fully asleep was "please stay with me".

At this point Hermione carefully untangled herself from Oliver. Putting her clothes on and about to step out of his room, she stopped and looked back. She couldn't bring herself to leave but it had to be done. She knew she would break his heart, she knew it from the start of the week. But she had to walk away. She needed him to go to her willingly. Call it a leap of faith. She cried as she left the house and apparated into her own room. She cried more as she drove back to the city, she cried even worse when she ran into her mother's arms when she got _home_.

"Hermione sweetheart-"her mother started but Hermione sobbe dfurther, Mrs Granger stopped mid sentence and gave her daughter the most comfort and warmth a mother could offer to a daughter whose heart constantly broke for three years. "If its meant to be, you'll get a chance again"

Epilogue:

In another time and place, years after, Oliver strolled down the dark streets of Oxford. His heart never healed, but he figured that it was his doing. He had struck first when he broke her heart. He was prepared then to be left, but was not prepared for the on slaught of regret that stayed with him a year after. Oliver realized Hermione's true meaning when he felt the immense panic and heartache when he found his bed empty even more so when he had ran to her house, that he found that she had left hurriedly while he dreamed of a wonderful life with Hermione Granger.

Walking into a pub, Oliver headed to the bar and asked for a pint of Guiness. He had been travelling for the eight months all over Europe. He was fortunate enough to have been invited to join the newly formed quidditch team. They had success and everyone knew who Oliver Wood was yet again. In fact he just came from a practice at their home pitch. But as he toured Europe, he often wondered if he'd ever see Hermione again. Every city, he would watch the crowd, loooking for that familiar taunting smile. But thirty cities, thirty games, he never saw Hermione Granger once.

Oliver looked around the bar to find the next woman he was going to sleep with when he finally caught a break. But it was too easy, how could it be this easy. He had been in Oxford all this time since she had left his bed and he had never bumped into her. But there she was, hair extremely short and slightly tanned than how he remembered her. She sat by the corner booth alone, with a plater of half eaten fish and chips and a pint of white beer accompanied by stacks of books. She clicked away in that black shiny contraption she called a laptop as she read off a rather old book. He held his breathe as he watched her further, gathering up the courage to go up to her. Why was he so nervous. "she was the one who slipped away" his ego reminded him.

Finally after taking another swig of his dark heavy beer he stood up and walked up to her booth. He placed his glass down gently as not to startle her and leaned on the table waiting for Hermione to look up at him with those brown eyes of hers and when she did, she gaped at him like a fish.

"Hi, my name is Oliver" Oliver said. Hermione breathed out and swallowed hard as she collected her thoughts."- if you feel the same as we last saw each other. Tell me now and I'll never bother you again. If you've changed your mind please put me out of my misery and tell me before I cry in public"

Hermione burst out laughing while Oliver started to laugh himself, he watched Hermione as she stood up to meet his gaze. Placing her hand on his cheek and said "Took you long enough to honestly admit it"

And with that Oliver leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips and said "don't ever leave me again Hermione Granger. I am yours, I always have been".

AN:

AH took me long enough. Story done. finally,


End file.
